COVID-19

Sadly the entire concept of quarentining the sick and investigating possible contacts and quarantining them as well is not being dealt with!

It is one of the things some countries have done extremely well.

planner wrote:

Sadly the entire concept of quarentining the sick and investigating possible contacts and quarantining them as well is not being dealt with!

It is one of the things some countries have done extremely well.

Agreed but we are not South Korea nor Singapore. And we are not in the situation of a lost cause like most of Europe and USA. With increases daily of tens of thousands and aware that 30% are asymptomatic, it is a case of' jack out of the box' and no amount of testing will put him back in the box. Far too late and no stopping of commercial activities and travel between countries and states. Crazy imo and the only way now in these places is to enforce stay at home until it subsides, but won't happen in such societies which is far different to here. Did you see the Philippines president has authorized shoot to kill people who disobey the rules? Far too extreme imo but emphasizes the gravity of the problem which western society can't grasp...or perhaps is politically brainwashed.

DR still has few cases and if they isolate communities then this also works. SFM is an example and more needed imo. I also think they have been tracking cases quite well in DN. Sadly the end result in SD will depend on SD East, North and West because DN is connected. Santiago also could be isolated.

Worrying times.

Yes we.missed the boat.

Now IMO we.need serious queda en casa except food medication and essential services.  Serious isolation!!!!

NEW STUDY

Coronavirus has not been spread by shopping or going to the hairdresser, a leading virologist has said after studying a hotspot for the virus.

Prof Hendrik Streeck, leading the response in one of Germany's worst hit regions, said Covid-19 might not be spread as easily as people believe.

In his research, Prof Streeck said the home of an infected family his team visited "did not have any live virus on any surface" including on phones, door knobs or even the pet cat's fur.

He told German TV "there are no proven infections while shopping or at the hairdresser" and that Germany's "patient zero" only infected her colleagues and not other guests or diners at the hotel where she was staying.

"The virus spreads in other places: the party in Ischgl, the club in Berlin, the football game in Bergamo," he said.

"We know it's not a smear infection that is transmitted by touching objects, but that close dancing and exuberant celebrations have led to infections."

He said he was not calling for the end to social distancing but there remained unknowns about the virus that may throw current guidance into doubt.

Dr Fauci
This was asked of him in a Podcast
=============================

What are some of your biggest focuses now?


My biggest concern is that we now have a 30-day extension of the guideline mitigation. And we’ve got to get the American people to really appreciate that.
We should be prepared to adequately address the inevitable rebound that you will see once you start pulling back on the restrictions and the mitigations.
I had a very interesting conversation just this morning with colleagues from literally all over the world on the weekly telephone conference call that the W.H.O. sponsors. And it was interesting to me that some of the most cogent concerns of people from different countries, I mean all over — European, African, Australian, Canadian — was that we need to make sure we keep our eye on the balance of, if you’re too stringent in things like lockdowns and keeping people under wraps for a long period of time, you may have the unintended consequence of triggering, from an economic and societal standpoint, such a disruption that you get things like poverty and health issues unrelated to the coronavirus.

Sorry one small study isn't really helpful.  There is way too much information that contradicts this.

And please let's keep this.thread as factual as possible.

He is the German equivalent to Fauci.....

He leads the German team

The article came from the London Telegraph..(UK)

Not arguing with you.  If it doesn't come.from WHO and.or.CDC  then it's speculation and or unproven.

We.have to keep that to a minimum.  That is reality of our situation. 

Sadly too many people will latch onto whatever supports their opinions.  I am not referring to anyone here but to the "masses"

I personally don't believe masks are warranted for the masses. However if the WHO and or CDC say wear them I will do so.

The mask idea is because you can transmit before manifesting symptoms.... transfer unwittingly

and the jury is out on that.  There is a fabulous article that summarized a variety of studies - no conclusion YET.  And if there is one and issued by the CDC or WHO then I will abide by it.

So you will struggle to enter any DR supermarket and be looked upon suspiciously. This is now the norm in DR.

And according to US media belatedly CDC will recommend imminently the use of cloth masks to all in USA.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal … SKBN21K20K

Confirmed total cases 1488 an increase of 108 new cases. Total deaths 68 increase of 8. recovered remains at 16.

Face Masks

It was mentioned again in today's MOH bulletin that the recommendation is to use face masks when out in public and the call is for this to be mandatory in the whole of DR by all the the medical community and be available free. Expect an announcement.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … ascarillas

I will follow the rules, even when I may not agree with them.  Absolutely.   Rules are rules and so it goes.

Sadly  as part of the death toll here,  2 children have lost their lives.

Planner is being a bit of a rebel....

I might be too...

Yes I wear a mask/gloves in Playero or elsewhere when dictated
But I live in a relatively low incident area... in SD I might be more careful

lennox...
technically la Castilla is Cabrera - where the 80 yr old died - but in fact it is closer to Payita and waaay up the hills I am told

Nahhhh not a rebel.  I just believe in science.

If it is shown to help I am all for.it! 

For now everyone stay safe please!

Day increases:

DN                                          53
Santo Domingo rest            11
Santiago                                17
Duarte                                    2
Puerto Plata                          3
La Vega                                  5
Maria Trinidad Sanchez      1
Samana                                  2
Espillat                                    2
San Juan                                 1
Sanchez Ramirez                  3
San Cristobel                         1
Hato Mayor                            1
Monte Plata                            2
Santiago Rodriguez               3
Baoruco                                  1

Interesting

Just listened to the daily briefing at No.10 and yet again the experts have reconfirmed there is no evidence to suggest face masks protect you.  So don't wear them!

Ducketts

If you can access the NYTimes - here's exactly what we're talking about
Including W.H.O and CDC stubbing their toes, changing guidelines...

Today's propaganda is tomorrow's truth - and vice versa

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/opin … -news.html

This article was posted in Diario Libre by a statistician to predict scenarios of how the confirmed numbers would increase over the next few days.

The assumption posted was the lowest transmission rate of increase he considered (1.31 - the persons to whom each infected person can pass the infection to) and based upon the numbers given daily by MoH.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … =blueconic

His headline is that he predicted we will have 3,781 cases this Sunday and remember it is based upon current MoH numbers.

But look in more detail:

He predicted 1682 yesterday but MoH reported 1380 and today 2203 and we have 1488.

The good news is that we are far from the doomsday scenarios of one affected to 6 others, so curfew, travel restrictions, isolation, closed all but essential businesses, closed airports and good messaging to people with use of masks, gloves, people distancing and disinfectants may be effective. Early days.

deleted

This is interesting information given by the Minister this morning:

Community transmission is in Greater Santo Domingo, Santiago, Duarte and La Vega, and so implying other cases are linked to imported cases or contacts thereof.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/salud/cuatro-provincias-y-el-distrito-nacional-ya-tienen-circulacion-comunitaria-del-covid-19-AO18070330

Four provinces and the National District already have community circulation of COVID-19

The Minister of Public Health reported this Friday that there are already five provinces in the country with community circulation of COVID-19.

These are: Duarte, the first, Santo Domingo, Santiago, La Vega and the National District, as reported this Friday by Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas.

Community transmission means that cases arise in which those infected have not had contact with anyone who has been in risk areas and have not traveled abroad. When that happens, it is difficult to establish how a person became infected with COVID-19, according to previous statements by the minister.

In San Francisco de Macorís, the head municipality of the Duarte province, he had to undergo military intervention and take some of the diagnosed to isolation centers to stop the pandemic.

Even so, Sánchez hopes that in the next 15 days, the incidences of cases can be lowered, and for that, he asked for the cooperation of the population with maintaining social distancing.

Hahahaha we have had community spread for weeks.

All this talk...

I see it this way...

for example...
A PC worker returns to SD after being laid off and mingles.

Mingle partner #? is now infected and continues the spread

The origin is still the tourist who gave it to the PC worker but the multiplicity of contacts renders it impossible to track
Once - twice -- 8 times removed.... who knows?

Impossible !!

Limiting travel and contact is one of the few choices available

WW - PhD



Pretty hard Drinker

The government has activated provincial committees to coordinate actions against covid19 headed by provincial governor.

We are now confined to our municipal districts and cannot travel to others.

https://noticiassin.com/gobierno-prohib … senciales/

Government prohibits travel to the interior of the country; except for the transport of essential goods[b][/b]

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Minister of the Presidency, Gustavo Montalvo, announced today that with the extension of the curfew for fifteen days, travel to the interior of the country is strictly prohibited, except for the transport of essential goods.

Montalvo reported that the Armed Forces and the National Police will  install checkpoints at the entrances of the municipalities, to ensure the correct application of this measure.

“In this we must be clear. Exceptions are not allowed and it is not valid to go from one locality to another, even with the intention of quarantining once they arrive there ”

The minister clarified that this provision is not only for curfew hours. "Not even in the morning, when it is correct to go to the pharmacy or supermarket, it is permissible to move into the interior of the country," he said.

Does this mean we can't go from Cabarete to Sosua or are they the same municipal?

Thanks

Ducketts

Not sure how this will roll out! 

I believe the intent is to stop all Easter travel! And it's necessary!

The CDC came out with the suggestion of using fabric  masks in public.  I will go along with their suggestion.

The Minister of the Presidency, Gustavo Montalvo, reported that travel to the interior of the country is prohibited and the Armed Forces and the National Police will install checkpoints at the entrance of each municipality to ensure compliance with this measure.

Sosua and Cabarete are in one municipality in the province of Puerto Plata which has 9 municipalities.  http://www.editorialox.com/puertoplata.htm

It is quite possible that with the new provincial committees coordinating the covid19 actions in each province that they could control entry between municipalities. For example restrict people from Sosua municipality travelling to Puerto Plata town.

For somewhere like Santo Domingo I expect we will see army checkpoints to restrict movement in and out of the city at all the major roads and within the city from east west and north into DN. There aren't that may roads entering the city in any case so it will be quite easy to implement.

It is likely to be a bit harder for people who live in the campo and go to the city to buy food. For example Jarabacoa to Santiago will probably be off limits and for WW, Cabrera to Sosua for shopping may be closed off.

Mayors all over the country have been calling for this so now the mechanisms are in place to do it officially. imo this is a good extra step in lock down to stop our 'travel happy covid19' confined.

There will be no MoH report today. They are now reporting Sunday to Friday.

In RD, a municipality is quite large...

right Lennox, not large enough to get me to Sosua !!!

I wonder how strict they'll be here in the hinterlands...
SD should be shut like a steel trap along with the other hotspots
but the manpower needed for a total national restriction on movement may be more than is available

WillieWeb wrote:

but the manpower needed for a total national restriction on movement may be more than is available

That is why they decentralized the control to the governors and the mayors within those provinces. The control will be by them.

It will be an effective way of stopping the spread around the country.

And now be warned:

Defense Minister ensures that those who try to leave their municipalities will be arrested

https://noticiassin.com/ministro-de-def … unicipios/

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Defense Minister General Lieutenant General ERD, Rubén Darío Paulino Sem, said he is ready to comply with the Government's measure that requires that no one go inside the country and establish checkpoints at the entrance and exit of the demarcations .

The minister explained that in the municipalities of the country the police and military will be detaining everyone who does not comply with the measures.

He recalled that the spas are closed because the places where people gather cannot be open.

He called on the citizens to abide by the measures and not leave their homes.

As for the sanctions, he explained that the vehicles will be stopped until the curfew ends, in addition to catching people and putting them to clean the towns.

He highlighted the work that is being carried out in conjunction with the health authorities, in the identification of the contagion map of Covid-19 positive people.

"Night after night we have had to arrest more than a thousand people nationwide, there are many people who have not become aware of the magnitude of the problem at the national level, especially young people must become aware," added Paulino Sem.


Fear is a real driving factor for most Dominicans. There may be a few idiots in the cities but by and large everyone is taking precautions and adapting their lifestyle too. The information being passed to the population is constant by news media and now. We will be much safer here in DR than in Europe and USA because the government will take every measure needed to beat this.

Can someone answer the following:

Are the towns of Sosua & Cabarete in the same municiple area i.e. Puerta Plata?

Thanks

Ducketts

My friend is trying to fly out - POP = JFK this afternoon on JB

He made it to the airport from Cabrera but said a couple of the roadblocks were very surly about it

How well his driver will fare on the return trip is a question

Actually we here in the USA are very safe. Consider the fact that  we are a country of over 350,000,000 people and a fraction of the deaths from this virus compared to the annual flu. If you check the details you will see that most of the deaths have centered around 3 or 4 large cities. With scattered people across the country. We are staying home. We are making and donating  goods and supplies. We are wearing masks and practicing social distancing if we go out to get food or meds. Almost all of us are well and busy at home. And as predicted earlier, the virus is beginning to run its course. We are attending church and meetings on Google Chat and other similar programs. And praying for the country and the world. This too shall pass.

Interesting post

I think you need to be much more realistic about this virus.

The US has only just started its virus path and sadly as most experts say they see at least 250,000 deaths in the coming months.  I don't think one should compare this virus with flu.  Covid-19 is very is very different.  And flu does not cause a global economic recession-something which will last several years with huge unemployment and bankruptcies.

It's clear you are OK and I am delighted for you but with 30,0000 US people with no health insurance this surely must be very concerning to all.  Again from what you say you are not practising social distancing which is a mistake.  Wearing masks according to many experts don't work and the US Gov's announcement has just caused panic and an eventual shortfall of masks needed by the needy not people who are healthy.

I wish you well

Ducketts

Tigerink, I am very pleased that you feel safe where you are.

I likewise feel very comfortable with the strong containment measures that my adopted country has taken knowing that should things deteriorate they have the mechanisms to close everything down without any questions of civil liberty and if this is good for our collective well being, so be it.

The United States of America is just that, 51 different states and just like Europe which is of similar size has many parts and all have differing statistics, containment and periods of spread. Likewise you will see that covid19 has spread to virtually every county in every state in your confederation and you can see the daily changes using the 'bing' tracker:

https://www.bing.com/covid/local/unitedstates

By clicking on the red dot for each state you can see every counties statistics updated daily. It is not just in cities and it is expanding across the whole country and re-generating in state like Washington, which suffered from the cruise ship liner repatriations from Japan which accounted for the original few cases (about 100) in the USA. And after that the USA cut off travel from China.

But like DR, the imported cases that are causing this growth in both countries now came in from  the east, from Europe and Asia. New York State had it's first case the same day that DR had it's first case on 1st March and it was a returnee from Iran if memory serves me well. We had ours by way of an Italian and we immediately cut flights from Milan. Delta stopped their Milan flights into JFK 3 days later. The USA and DR stopped their flights from Europe from 14th March and by then we had had new cases imported from Spain. DR stopped all flights with the later emergency powers. USA did not and has been allowing repatriation of large numbers of US citizens from affected overseas countries with insufficient control.

DR introduced emergency powers on 19th March uniformly nationwide including closing all airports, non essential business nationwide and stopped all public transport around the country and added a curfew which has since been extended. We now have areas being isolated and military checkpoints in place. We have a population who are fearful and taking the measures seriously and they have been using face masks, gloves and hand gels for weeks. Church services stopped weeks ago and my wife attends services on Facebook now.

Yes we have less testing so there will be an element of uncertainty but the awareness level and controls here should be beneficial to what ever is the actual number.

And on the point of testing DR is testing to the WHO protocol when two or more symptoms are seen rather than mass testing now in some countries which may give you a better picture but is useless if you cant follow up all the contacts of the 30,000 new daily cases with an infection rate of six per person infected. And what is the point of testing people who have no symptoms because they could still get the virus? by the way DR's infection coefficient is less than 1.37 as proven by the statistics report I posted a day or so ago.

US states with growing numbers and similar populations such as New Jersey, Minnesota and Colorado had their first cases later than DR and had likely spread from the East Coast due to continued flights cross border traffic being and business being allowed on many states allowed. The USA is behind the DR in term of the advance of this virus  and still does not have the proven controls in place to bring it under control let alone stop the rapid advance and associated deaths.

You cannot look at the USA as a whole and compare to DR because the statistics used start on the basis after the first 100 cases and USA had those early from the cruise ship repatriations who were locked down in isolation. as a result the statistics are misleading.

As of now, the confirmed cases in countries and states mentioned are:

DR      1488          first case 1st March
USA    299,861   first case 24th January
NY       113,704    first case 1st March
NJ        34,124      first case 4th March
MI        12,744      first case 10th March
CO        4,173        first case  5th March

I will leave you with those thoughts and please understand we get many expats from USA posting from USA on English social media that DR is in dire straights without understanding our emergency lock down and the level of compliance and misread the detail by comparing all USA statistics to us. Likewise I cannot understand how the USA plans to eliminate this virus without a uniform national response of severe lock down everywhere in all 51 states.

It can all go pear shaped still for us In DR,but I hope not because we will be given even worse lock down medicine to cure the patient quickly

No, the annual flu does not destroy the economy or impact every aspect  of World  Wide life. No, but we know what (or rather who) has done that with the one.